1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus including a web browser which can provide its function as a web service via an operation screen displayed by the web browser, a system including the image processing apparatus and an external apparatus, an information processing method, and a storage medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional image processing apparatus is generally known that stores a function of each device such as a scanner, a printer, a fax, and a network transmission device within one housing. A form in which an operation unit of such an image processing apparatus uses the web browser is typically known. As above-described form in which the function is used via the operation screen displayed by the web browser, a method described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-003833 is known.
According to Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-003833, based on screen information (screen data) received from an external apparatus on a network, the web browser displays on the operation unit the operation screen related to an image processing function. Upon receiving a user's operation via the operation screen, the web browser once transmits content of the user's operation to the external apparatus. As a response to the content of the transmitted operation, the web browser receives a script (screen control flow) from the external apparatus. The web browser, based on the received script, generates a simple object access protocol (SOAP) message for calling a web service provided by the image processing apparatus, transmits the generated SOAP message to a provider of the web service, and then uses the function of the image processing apparatus as the web service.
According to Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-003833, the web browser generates a processing request of the SOAP message for using the web service according to the script (screen control flow) received from the external apparatus.
According to the above-described conventional method, data received by the web browser as a response to the user's operation is written in a script format. In order to cause the web service provided by the image processing apparatus to execute the script, the data needs to be converted into a message (e.g., SOAP message) that the web service can interpret.